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about Nēpia who was his great uncle. Kouka said the play evoked "vivid memories of the rugby legend" and was an opportunity at the time to showcase the best both of rugby and New
Zealand theatre. Kouka spoke to the family before writing the play, and while they supported the project and trusted him,
576:
with the birth certificate stating he was born in 1905, although a passport application also had his date of birth as 25 July 1904. Nēpia later claimed to have been born in 1908, saying he had put his age up to be eligible for the All Black trials in 1924. According to two rugby historians in a later
683:
Following his retirement from playing rugby Nēpia became a referee and worked as a farm manager in the Wairoa district. In 1975 his wife Huinga died. Nēpia lived out his final years with his son
Winston in Rangitukia. He died in died at Ruatōria on 27 August 1986.
654:
in London for £500, at the time the highest fee paid to any New
Zealand Rugby League player. His family remained in New Zealand. Because rugby union was a strictly amateur game at the time, Nēpia was cast out from rugby union. Nēpia later transferred to
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player. He is remembered as an exceptional full-back and one of the most famous Māori rugby players. He was inducted into the New
Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2004 he was selected as number 65 by the panel of the
1156:
623:
tour to the United
Kingdom. Nēpia was one of the stars of the tour. He played in all 32 games – being the only player to do so – and scored 77 points. As the team did not lose any matches, they came to be known as
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but without his father's permission, went instead to the nearby Maori
Agricultural College where, according to Nēpia, the coach of the rugby said he would pay his fees if he was "material for the first XV".
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news item however, Nepia's claim about his date of birth would have meant he played first class rugby at the age of 13, and as this was unlikely, the records would stay.
756:
596:. They had four children, three sons and a daughter. One of his sons, George, himself a promising rugby fullback died at the age of 22 while on army service in Malaya.
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for twenty four successful defences before losing to
Wairarapa in 1927. Nēpia initially played on the wing but was later shifted to second-five eighth.
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Nēpia was selected for the Hawkes Bay provincial rugby team in 1922. At that time Hawkes Bay had one of the strongest teams in New
Zealand and held the
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he recalled: "Opening night was scary, though. All the Nepias were in the audience. Thankfully they loved it". The play won four
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639:, probably on racial grounds. Nēpia returned to the All Blacks for tours to Australia in 1929 and against the
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In 1926, Nēpia married Huinga Kōhere. Nēpia and his family settled on a Kohere's family farm at
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After finishing primary school in Nūhaka, Nēpia's father sent fees for him to attend
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628:. Nēpia played at fullback and before each game, led the team's performance of a
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in New
Zealand in 1930. These were his last games for the All Blacks.
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1001:. Vol. XC, no. 27512. 20 November 1954. p. 8.
696:, New Zealand playwright Hone Kouka wrote a one-person show,
659:. In 1937 he returned to New Zealand and played league for
629:
923:– via Papers Past: National Library of New Zealand.
911:. Vol. LXII, no. 18689. 12 May 1926. p. 6.
893:– via Papers Past: National Library of New Zealand.
863:– via National Library of New Zealand - Papers Past.
1167:– via Papers Past: National Library of New Zealand.
1013:– via Papers Past: National Library of New Zealand.
1102:"George Nepia New Zealand Full-back Turns Professional"
1033:"Great George Nepia missed out on all-white All Blacks"
1069:"Nēpia, George (Dictionary of New Zealand Biographes)"
16:
New
Zealand international rugby footballer (1905–1986)
1141:
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from the New Zealand post office in 1990. Historian
524:; 25 April 1905 – 27 August 1986) was a New Zealand
635:Nēpia was omitted from the 1928 All Blacks tour of
619:In 1924 Nēpia was selected as a full-back for the
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540:television show. Nēpia was featured in a set of
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790:, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005,
1372:New Zealand national rugby league team players
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1024:
1022:
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1357:New Zealand international rugby union players
777:Stanley Gibbons stamp numbers 1560 and MS1561
1180:"Heartfelt theatre homage to 'Uncle George'"
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548:described him as "New Zealand rugby's first
1367:New Zealand Māori rugby league team players
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1072:(First Published 1998, updated July, 2023)
32:
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875:"Revelation by Nepia but records to stay"
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650:professionally being signed initially by
1076:Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand
809:"The Invincibles: Passport applications"
610:
599:
559:
1312:Dominion XIII rugby league team players
905:"All Black's Romance George Nepia Weds"
842:
723:"Nēpia, Hōri - te Aka Māori Dictionary"
652:Streatham and Mitcham Rugby League Club
564:George Nepia passport application, 1924
1402:Streatham and Mitcham R.L.F.C. players
1362:New Zealand Māori rugby league players
1289:
1177:
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831:
646:In 1935 Nēpia went to England to play
1392:Rugby league players from Hawke's Bay
1225:from the original on 28 February 2024
1211:Springford, Vomie (17 October 2013).
1192:from the original on 28 February 2024
1159:from the original on 28 February 2024
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1112:from the original on 27 February 2024
1082:from the original on 11 December 2023
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1043:from the original on 27 February 2024
1005:from the original on 28 February 2024
915:from the original on 28 February 2024
885:from the original on 28 February 2024
855:from the original on 28 February 2024
819:from the original on 28 February 2024
632:that had been composed for the tour.
1397:Rugby union players from Hawke's Bay
1307:Canterbury rugby league team players
845:"Nepia was the supreme NZ whizz-kid"
843:Romanos, Michael (1 December 1985).
759:from the original on 9 December 2023
538:New Zealand's Top 100 History Makers
975:from the original on 2 October 2023
615:George Nēpia passport photo, (1924)
428:
289:
13:
1407:World Rugby Hall of Fame inductees
1213:"Homage to Nepia transcends rugby"
1149:"George Nepia, rugby legend, dies"
1031:Fowler, Michael (25 August 2018).
107:82 kg (12 st 13 lb)
14:
1428:
1241:
99:1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
945:from the original on 5 June 2023
881:. 19 December 1985. p. 36.
788:A Concise History of New Zealand
1417:New Zealand rugby union players
1337:Hawke's Bay rugby union players
1277:New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
1204:
1171:
1037:Herald Home: Hawke's Bay Today
995:"N.Z. Soldier Killed in Malaya"
987:
957:
927:
753:New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
1322:East Coast rugby union players
1317:Dual-code rugby internationals
1178:Utiger, Taryn (23 July 2013).
1155:. 28 August 1986. p. 40.
1108:. 31 October 1935. p. 4.
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669:New Zealand rugby league team
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703:Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards
7:
736:George Nēpia player profile
692:Timed to coincide with the
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935:"Te Wairua o George Nepia"
749:"George Nepia (1905-1986)"
969:Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti
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1377:Ngāti Rakaipaaka people
1347:Manukau Magpies players
1342:Hornby Panthers players
305:Streatham & Mitcham
1387:Rugby league fullbacks
1233:– via NZ Herald.
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565:
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1412:Rugby union fullbacks
1327:Halbert-Kohere family
1138:, Christchurch, 1987.
786:Philippa Mein Smith,
614:
600:Rugby football career
563:
1067:McConnell, Robin C.
813:Archives New Zealand
694:2011 Rugby World Cup
188:International career
39:George Nepia in 1935
1218:Wairarapa Times-Age
941:. 10 October 2021.
663:and played for the
546:Philippa Mein Smith
243:Playing information
236:Rugby league career
28:
1382:People from Wairoa
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568:Nēpia was born in
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443:New Zealand Māori
112:Rugby union career
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582:Te Aute College
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91:(aged 81)
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1264:at ESPNscrum
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641:British Lions
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131:Senior career
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84:Date of death
82:
79:, New Zealand
78:
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64:25 April 1905
56:
54:Date of birth
52:
48:
44:
35:
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19:
1273:George Nēpia
1262:George Nēpia
1248:George Nēpia
1227:. Retrieved
1216:
1206:
1194:. Retrieved
1183:
1173:
1161:. Retrieved
1152:
1143:
1135:
1130:
1120:– via
1114:. Retrieved
1106:Western Mail
1105:
1096:
1084:. Retrieved
1075:
1045:. Retrieved
1036:
1007:. Retrieved
998:
989:
977:. Retrieved
968:
959:
947:. Retrieved
939:clubrugby.nz
938:
929:
917:. Retrieved
908:
899:
887:. Retrieved
878:
869:
857:. Retrieved
848:
821:. Retrieved
812:
803:
787:
782:
773:
761:. Retrieved
752:
743:
731:
717:
697:
691:
682:
648:rugby league
645:
637:South Africa
634:
618:
603:
587:
579:
567:
533:rugby league
514:George Nēpia
513:
512:
509:
208:
203:
198:
193:
151:
146:
141:
136:
121:
89:(1986-06-27)
87:27 June 1986
49:George Nēpia
26:George Nēpia
21:Rugby player
18:
1302:1986 deaths
1297:1905 births
1229:29 February
1196:29 February
1163:29 February
1116:28 February
1086:28 February
1047:28 February
1009:29 February
979:28 February
949:28 February
919:29 February
889:29 February
859:28 February
823:28 February
763:28 February
529:rugby union
464:New Zealand
219:New Zealand
122:Position(s)
1291:Categories
851:(27): 34.
849:Tu Tangata
709:References
679:Later life
673:Canterbury
621:All Blacks
594:East Coast
590:Rangitukia
574:Hawkes Bay
556:Early life
522:Hōri Nēpia
359:1938–1939
177:East Coast
162:Hawkes Bay
60:1905-04-25
46:Birth name
738:Scrum.com
705:in 2011.
550:superstar
1223:Archived
1190:Archived
1157:Archived
1110:Archived
1080:Archived
1041:Archived
1003:Archived
973:Archived
943:Archived
913:Archived
883:Archived
853:Archived
817:Archived
757:Archived
755:. 2024.
688:Tributes
253:Fullback
249:Position
209:(Points)
152:(Points)
126:Fullback
1275:at the
798:, p.148
661:Manukau
657:Halifax
592:on the
363:Manukau
343:Hornby
324:Halifax
215:1924–30
173:1927–47
158:1922–25
794:
570:Wairoa
510:
407:Years
382:Total
268:Years
104:Weight
96:Height
73:Wairoa
1185:Stuff
1153:Press
999:Press
909:Press
879:Press
526:Māori
518:Māori
460:1937
440:1937
410:Team
340:1937
301:1937
271:Team
263:Club
194:Years
137:Years
1231:2024
1198:2024
1165:2024
1118:2024
1088:2023
1049:2024
1011:2024
981:2024
951:2024
921:2024
891:2024
861:2024
825:2024
792:ISBN
765:2024
667:and
630:haka
531:and
204:Apps
199:Team
147:Apps
142:Team
1250:at
552:".
455:20
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